Making and baking…..

It feels like just the right time to do a chrismassy-related blog post… with under a week to go and today being my official last pre-christmas day at work.

I decided this year that I needed to have a go at making my own Christmas Cake for the first time… this is purely for selfish reasons, as I hate the candied peel and glace cherries that you always get in shop-bought ones! So, armed with my very favourite food writer – Nigel Slater, I set about having a go… and it was actually not too difficult at all.

I pre-soaked the dried fruits for a week beforehand in oodles of alcohol and fresh orange juice… (it turned out they tasted rather nice by themselves and it was difficult to stop nibbling them!), then put it all together with the other cake ingredients and some toasted hazelnuts. I have been studiously ‘feeding’ the cake with alcohol over the last few weeks… and my children are looking forward to decorating it for Christmas. I am just looking forward to eating it.

Wishing everyone a wonderfully relaxing, food-filled, festive period…..

Kx